What door to door shipping means
Door to door means one forwarder takes responsibility for the whole journey: collecting the goods at origin, exporting them, moving them by sea or air, clearing them through Ghana customs and delivering them to the receiver. You get one point of contact and one shipment to follow on the tracking page.
The alternative is port to port, where the freight ends at Tema or Accra airport and you or your own agent take over. Port to port can look cheaper on paper, but the handover is where documents go missing and storage days are lost.
What a door to door quote includes
- Collection from the supplier, warehouse or home at origin
- Export formalities in the origin country
- Freight by sea, in a full or shared container, or by air
- Import clearance at Tema, Takoradi or Accra airport, lodged in ICUMS
- Duty and taxes, if you choose a duty paid service
- Delivery by truck to the address in Ghana
Duty is usually the largest single cost. Estimate it with the import duty calculator, or the vehicle duty calculator for cars.
What can be extra
A good door to door quote is clear about what it leaves out. Costs that may be added include:
- Port storage and shipping line demurrage if documents or duty funds are late (see our demurrage guide)
- Customs examination charges if the cargo is selected for physical inspection
- Permits for regulated goods such as food, cosmetics and medicines
- Packing, crating or palletising at origin
- Cargo insurance, which is not automatic
- Delivery to remote areas, upper floors or sites a truck cannot reach
- Waiting time if nobody is there to receive the goods
We list these on the quote so nothing arrives as a surprise.
DAP and DDP explained simply
These are Incoterms, the standard rules for who pays for what.
DAP (Delivered at Place). Everything is paid up to your address in Ghana except import duty and taxes. You, or we on your behalf, pay the duty when the goods are assessed. The duty is based on the real assessment, so you pay exactly what customs charges.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid). The duty and taxes are included in the price. The receiver pays nothing on arrival. This suits gifts, buyers who want one fixed figure, and sellers abroad delivering to Ghanaian customers. It needs accurate invoices and HS codes upfront, because the duty is worked out before shipping.
Read more in our Incoterms guide for Ghana importers.
Personal effects or commercial cargo
Personal effects are used household goods, clothes and belongings shipped by an individual, for example when moving home. Customs treats them differently from goods for sale, and returning residents may qualify for relief on used personal and household items if they meet the conditions. An itemised list with honest values is essential.
Commercial cargo is anything for sale or business use. It needs a commercial invoice, a packing list and the importer's TIN or Ghana Card number, plus any permits. See the import documents checklist and our guide on how to import goods into Ghana.
Mixing new goods for sale into a personal effects shipment is a common cause of delays and penalties. Declare them separately.
How to get a door to door quote
Tell us:
- The collection address abroad and the delivery address in Ghana
- What the goods are, with a packing list or rough list of items
- The value, ideally a supplier invoice
- Weights and dimensions, or the number of cartons
- Whether you want duty included (DDP) or paid on arrival (DAP)
- When the goods will be ready
Popular routes include the UK, the USA, China and Dubai. Request a quote and we will price every leg on one page.
Questions
What is door to door shipping to Ghana?
One forwarder collects your goods abroad, ships them, clears them through Ghana customs and delivers them to an address in Ghana. You deal with one company for the whole journey.
Does door to door shipping include customs duty?
Only if you choose a duty paid (DDP) service. With DAP, freight and delivery are included but duty and taxes are paid when customs assesses the goods.
What is the difference between DAP and DDP?
With DAP the price covers delivery to your address but not import duty and taxes. With DDP the duty and taxes are included, so the receiver pays nothing on arrival.
Can I ship personal effects door to door to Ghana?
Yes. Provide an itemised list with values. Returning residents may qualify for relief on used personal and household effects. Goods for sale should be declared separately.
How long does door to door shipping to Ghana take?
It depends on the origin and the mode. Add collection time, the sea or air transit, clearance in Ghana and delivery. Air is a matter of days; sea usually takes several weeks.
Can you deliver outside Accra and Tema?
Yes. We deliver anywhere in Ghana, including Kumasi, Takoradi and the north. Remote locations may cost more, and we show that on the quote.
Talk to our operations desk.
Send your documents or cargo details and we will reply with a full quote: freight, clearance and delivery on one page.